Hi there. Just installed a new system with an i3-3220 processor and 8 GB of RAM. So far, between idling and installing programs, the core temp has fluctuated between 30 C and 55 C. Are those normal ranges? According to the monitoring program, the tJ max temp is supposed to be 105 C. I have been searching for articles on CPU operating temperatures with nothing conclusive. The specs at Intel do not directly address the temp subject. You can download some long, complex datasheets. But after glancing at their 100+ pages or so, it's way too technical. Why don't they give a simple chart of some sort? Maybe I am too worried... But thank you in advance for your input.

Yes, those are entirely normal ranges. Given a typical ambient home/office temperature of 20-25°C, you wouldn't expect to see anything lower than that. And the 50°C range is a very reasonable and safe range for a processor. You'll find overclockers around here with CPUs that regularly tolerate much higher temps than that, and we've had people on here with badly/incorrectly attached heatsinks or failing fans who have reported temps approaching triple digits without having their CPUs fail. Of course they got the situation fixed, because that's far from ideal, but it didn't kill their CPUs (and modern CPUs will shut themselves down before they get to that point anyway).

So, it's good that you checked, and you should look at the numbers again periodically just to make sure nothing is going wrong, but you've got nothing to worry about.

Thank you all for your help. And yes, I am using the regular cooler that came with the i3 3220. But I will continue to monitor, as suggested, for several days. For now the system has been up for less than 24 hours.

JohnC has the right idea, but I can't totally agree with him. Lower is always better, but chips are designed to operate at a large range of temperatures. Right now you're perfect. Begin to worry when you're closer to 75C or when the processor idles near 55C. I've seen laptops with extremely bad cooling, and when they reach about 82C they throttle their clock speed back so they can cool down. You will notice things not running well if you get to that point.

I have a similar setup, with 8 gb ram and a 3220 in an H61 mobo,stock cooler and the temps range from 32-35 at idle all the way to 55'ish when playing games, so I'd say your registered temperatures are fine, ridiculously normal I might add.

If you're realllly worried about it, you can get an aftermarket cooler for pretty cheap. I got my Xigmatek Gaia for $5 after rebate, slapped a couple $8 120mm fans on it, and my overclocked AMD A8 (not exactly a cool-running processor even at stock speeds) under load runs about 25-27C, idles at 22C. With the stock cooler at stock speeds it idled at about 35C and got up to around 50C under load, as far as I remember. Might be a decent option for you if you want to go that route, but as everyone else said, you're perfectly fine as-is.

I have a Intel Core i3 3220 CPU too but my goes up to 65 C when at full load and up to 45 C when idle... Is that safe or is it too high?Here's a picture of my components and their temps. when idle (since i'm not allowed to post URLs) :

I've broke lots of stuff, so I'd love to volunteer to be a living citation.

Anything below 80C is fine for usage. Things are different if you're overclocking, that changes the scenario a bit, but for stock clocks and heavy use, anything up to and including 80C is dandy. 80C-90C is cause for concern, mainly because a bad environmental shift can put you into Red Zone, but it's fine otherwise. CPUs have come a long way in the last 10-20 years and are now very robust and capable of keeping themselves out of thermal trouble. Anything 90C on up is cause for major concern, IMO, but you're not even breaking 60, so party on, Wayne.

In general you want to have the smallest gap possible between idle and load temperature.For example if cooling system try to chill the chip at idle, and you have high temp under load, this is bad.Large gap in idle/load is what can kill your chip prematurely.

As a side reference TSMC silicon is rated at 105 Celsius. By that I mean the die can run 27/7 at 105 for its rated lifetime.

What is Tcase vs. Tjunction?These terms are related to processor temperature for desktop and mobile systems based on Intel® Processors.To allow optimal system operation and long-term reliability, the processor must not exceed the maximum case temperature specifications as defined by the applicable thermal profile.Tcase is the temperature measurement using a thermocouple embedded in the center of the heat spreader. This initial measurement is done at the factory. Post-manufacturing, Tcase is calibrated by the BIOS, through a reading delivered by a diode between and below the cores.Tjunction is synonymous with core temperatures, and calculated based on the output from the Digital Thermal Sensor (DTS) using the formula Tjunction = (Tjunction Max – DTS output).

sschaem wrote:you want to have the smallest gap possible between idle and load temperature....

No offense, but reading your post initially I was dismissive. But, the more I thought about it the more it made sense from a technical standpoint. A smaller temperature delta means a smaller range of expansion/contraction internally (however minuscule). This has obvious benefits, but again, can't prove if they're significant at this scale.

I will say that almost every system out there automatically accomplishes what you're saying by varying CPU fan speed based on temps (primarily intended to reduce system noise at idle). I guess it just boils down to say that it might not be beneficial to run your CPU fan at a constant RPM.

sschaem wrote:you want to have the smallest gap possible between idle and load temperature....

No offense, but reading your post initially I was dismissive. But, the more I thought about it the more it made sense from a technical standpoint. A smaller temperature delta means a smaller range of expansion/contraction internally (however minuscule). This has obvious benefits, but again, can't prove if they're significant at this scale.

I will say that almost every system out there automatically accomplishes what you're saying by varying CPU fan speed based on temps (primarily intended to reduce system noise at idle). I guess it just boils down to say that it might not be beneficial to run your CPU fan at a constant RPM.

Seconded. While minimizing the difference between idle and load temps is a good thing, and something to be pursued when it doesn't conflict with any other goals, I would stop short of saying it's very important.